Jump to content
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Atypical liver hemangiomas?


greenbeanie

Recommended Posts

greenbeanie Enthusiast

Hi folks! I haven't posted in a while because my daughter and I are both doing great since we removed a few certified gluten free products from our diet last spring that had trace gluten below 20ppm. In a roundabout way the rise and fall of my daughter's blood tests along with my reaction to trace gluten cc (before we knew there was any) and quick disappearance of fat malabsorption after eliminating those products actually led my GI doctor to give me an official celiac diagnosis on clinical grounds even though I did not meet the usual diagnostic criteria. So I am now getting proper follow-up, which is great. 

 
However, one consequence of this is that my doctors are taking a harder look at a variety of minor/moderate abnormalities that had come up on various tests in the past, which they had dismissed as inconsequential at the time. I have two small lesions on my liver, one of which has been confirmed as an atypical hemangioma and has remained stable in size. The other lesion may also be an atypical hemangioma or adenoma, but neither ultrasound nor MRI could get a clear picture of it. An abdominal CT scan is recommended, but I've had multiple CT scans and other high-radiation tests over the past ten years, and I'm reluctant to get another one when the lesion is almost certainly benign and the CT scan might not even get a better picture of it than the MRI anyway. My liver is otherwise normal in size and appearance, though I do have a couple small cysts on my spleen too that they are not concerned about. My recent liver panel showed normal enzymes and other blood tests. I had a positive ANA in the past that has normalized too. I have no symptoms, and the liver lesions were an incidental finding from my GI's original work-up a couple years ago. I'm seeing a liver specialist in a few weeks. Meanwhile, I did find a recent article about an association between celiac and hepatic hemangiomas:
 
Open Original Shared Link
 
Has anyone had a similar experience with multiple atypical hemangiomas or adenomas? Did they grow or shrink over time? Suggestions for what questions I should ask the liver specialist? 
 
After so many years of trying to get doctors to take my concerns seriously, it's odd to be in a position where I actually feel sure that the rest of the weird stuff isn't serious and will keep improving with time, whereas my doctors are suddenly treating everything as significant. Both liver lesions are small (less that 1.5cm). I obviously don't want to ignore a problem that really could be serious, but I also don't want to have unnecessary high-radiation tests. 

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Recent Activity

    1. - xxnonamexx posted a topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      0

      FDA looking for input on Celiac Gluten sensitivity labeling PLEASE READ and submit your suggestions

    2. - cristiana replied to Atl222's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      2

      Increased intraepithelial lymphocytes after 10 yrs gluten-free

    3. - trents replied to Atl222's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      2

      Increased intraepithelial lymphocytes after 10 yrs gluten-free

    4. - Scott Adams replied to Aretaeus Cappadocia's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      1

      Brown Rice Vinegar (organic) from Eden Foods is likely gluten free

    5. - Scott Adams replied to wellthatsfun's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      1

      nothing has changed

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,192
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    DenisC
    Newest Member
    DenisC
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):
  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • xxnonamexx
      Please read: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-takes-steps-improve-gluten-ingredient-disclosure-foods?fbclid=IwY2xjawPeXhJleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFzaDc3NWRaYzlJOFJ4R0Fic3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHrwuSsw8Be7VNGOrKKWFVbrjmf59SGht05nIALwnjQ0DoGkDDK1doRBDzeeX_aem_GZcRcbhisMTyFUp3YMUU9Q
    • cristiana
      Hi @Atl222 As @trents points out, there could be many reasons for this biopsy result.  I am interested to know, is your gastroenterologist concerned?  Also, are your blood tests showing steady improvement over the years? I remember when I had my last biopsy, several years after diagnosis, mine came back with with raised lymphocytes but no villous damage, too! In my own case, my consultant wasn't remotely concerned - in fact, he said I might still get this result even if all I ever did was eat nothing but rice and water.   My coeliac blood tests were still steadily improving, albeit slowly, which was reassuring.
    • trents
      Welcome to the celiac.com community, @Atl222! Yes, your increased lymphocytes could be in response to oats or it could possibly be cross contamination from gluten that is getting into your diet from some unexpected source but not enough to damage the villi. And I'm certain that increased lymphocytes can be caused by other things besides celiac disease or gluten/oats exposure. See attachment. But you might try eliminating oats to start with and possibly dairy for a few months and then seek another endoscopy/biopsy to see if there was a reduction in lymphocyte counts. 
    • Scott Adams
      This is a solid, well-reasoned approach. You’re right that “koji” by itself doesn’t indicate gluten status, and the risk really does come down to which grain is used to culture it. The fact that you directly contacted Eden Foods and received a clear statement that their koji is made from rice only, with no wheat or barley, is meaningful due diligence—especially since Eden has a long-standing reputation for transparency. While the lack of gluten labeling can understandably give pause, manufacturer confirmation like this is often what people rely on for traditionally fermented products. As always, trusting your body after trying it is reasonable, but based on the information you gathered, your conclusion makes sense.
    • Scott Adams
      Seven months can still be early in celiac healing, especially if you were mostly asymptomatic to begin with—symptoms like low iron, vitamin D deficiency, nail changes, and hair issues often take much longer to improve because the gut needs time to recover before absorption normalizes. A tTG-IgA of 69 is not “low” in terms of immune activity, and it can take 12–24 months (sometimes longer) for antibodies and the intestinal lining to fully heal, particularly in teens and young adults. Eating gluten again to “test” things isn’t recommended and won’t give you clear answers—it’s far more likely to cause harm than clarity. Weight not changing is also very common in celiac and doesn’t rule anything out. Please know that your frustration and sadness matter; this adjustment is hard, and feeling stuck can really affect mental health. You deserve support, and if you can, reaching out to a GI dietitian or mental health professional familiar with chronic illness could really help you through this phase. This study indicates that a majority of celiacs don't recover until 5 years after diagnosis and starting a gluten-free diet: Mucosal recovery and mortality in adults with celiac disease after treatment with a gluten-free diet However, it's also possible that what the study really shows is the difficulty in maintaining a 100% gluten-free diet. I suspect that if you looked closely at the diets of those who did not recover within 2 years might be that their diets were not 100% gluten-free. Perhaps they ate out more often, or didn't understand all of the hidden ingredients where gluten can hide. Either way, it shows how difficult recovery from celiac disease can be for most people. According to this study: This article explores other causes of flattened villi:    
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.